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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Macadamia Nut Cheese Recipe

This vegan nut cheese recipe is perfect for topping homemade gluten-free pizza or for using in between layers of lasagna noodles, vegetables, and sauce. It is easy to make using a high powered blender, such as the Vita-Mix.

I find the flavors of this dairy-free "cheese" sauce are best balanced with the acidity of tomatoes, such as my Homemade Pizza Sauce recipe.

Macadamia nuts are expensive and exotic, I know. Just think of this sauce as a treat. A little goes a long way, macadamia nuts are very rich.

Macadamia Nut Cheese

When purchasing the macadamia nuts, be sure to buy the raw, unsalted variety. You'll need a high powered blender to get the sauce ultra creamy. Well, actually this is just my assumption, I have only made this in my Vitamix so I just don't know the difference. I remember trying to make cashew sauce in my old blender and it just never came out very smooth. If this works for you in a regular old blender please let me know or leave a comment below. Happy Cooking!

1 cup raw macadamia nuts

1/2 cup hot water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 to 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Herbamare

Place all ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend for 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy.

I am sure this sauce would also be delicious with the addition of a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper or even some crushed red chili flakes.

Use the sauce as an alternative to shredded cheese for topping a gluten-free pizza crust. Bake as your crust recipe directs. Enjoy!Source: www.NourishingMeals.com.

About the Author

Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University. She is the founder of Whole Life Nutrition, the mother of five children, a whole foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them, and offers elimination diet recipes, healthy gluten-free recipes, paleo and vegan recipes, as well as tips for feeding your family a nourishing, whole foods diet. Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!

I have gotten cashew cheese in my regular blender to come out really smooth, however the cashews were soaked overnight first, so I am sure that made a difference. When choosing a blender, I couldn't afford a vitamix so I just looked at reviews online to find a cheaper one that got lots of good reviews. I love the one I have!

Hey I just made this on top of the buckwheat pizza and it was really good. I didn't use any nutritional yeast and used no substitution. It was still excellent. By the way, I used my cuisanart food processor, which worked well.

The pizza all together, came out wonderful, and I had to ask my non-vegan-gluten-free family not to eat it all so I could have some for tomorrow.

I have always made a similar recipe using raw cashews soaked for 2 hours ahead of time. And I have always skipped the nutritional yeast. I let it sit for 5 or 6 hours after to firm up and then it is great on pizza.

I am so anxious and excited to try this recipe! I like to use fresh ingredients whenever possible. Do you think it will alright to add fresh garlic and onion instead of powders and if so how much? Thanks!!

Welcome to my blog!

Hi! My name is Alissa Segersten and I've had a love of healthy food and cooking since the age of 10. I have my degree in Nutrition from Bastyr University and am the author of three {gluten-free} food and nutrition books. When I was pregnant with my first daughter in 2001, I diligently began writing down my recipes because so many people would ask for them! Some of these recipes appeared in my first book, The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook. I now have 5 children and am passionate about educating them about our food system so they can make the most informed choices as they grow up and are exposed to a world of processed, chemical-laden foods. Join me in my mission of helping to support families with nourishing meals! Read more about me here.